It's Not Easy Being Green
by DonaldDouglasandToby6
Summary: Gator comes back to the Island, but he gets less then when he bargained for when Duck bursts a valve and he has to take a ballast train for him.


It was a busy morning at Tidmouth Harbour.

Boats came to and fro with their cargo, dropping them off and sailing back out to sea.

Oliver was at the harbour with Isabel and Dulcie.

He was watching a crane lift a load off of the Sodor Line.

Oliver noticed something familiar about the load, but only the undercarriage was visible.

"It looks like an engine..." he thought to himself.

He suddenly realized who it was as the crane lifted him high into the air.

"Oh dear, can you please put me down? I'm not so good with heights. Yes, lower. Lower. Thank you, but just a little bit lower."

"Gator!" cried Oliver as the crane loaded Gator down to the track next to Oliver.

"Hello Oliver!" said Gator cheerfully, "It's been a while since Christmas, hasn't it?"

"Indeed it has." chuckled Oliver, "How was your old railway?"

"Wonderful!` grinned Gator, "I told the people in the village the engines of Sodor said 'hello'!"

"That's nice." said Oliver.

Just then, the dockyard manager up to the two engines.

"Duck has burst a valve, and since you are the only engine available, you must collect Duck's empty trucks at Arlesburgh and take them to the ballast shoot by the Arlesdale Railway, and then take the train to Knapford, Gator." he explained.

Gator grinned broadly.

"Oh, yes sir, thank you sir!"

He whistled as he puffed away.

"Goodbye Oliver!" Gator called.

"Later Gator!" said Oliver as Gator puffed out into the distance.

Gator puffed along the Little Western to Arlesburgh West, where Douglas was being coupled up to Duck to take him to the Steamworks.

"Hello Duck." said Gator sympathetically as he puffed in, "I hope you feel better."

Duck sighed sadly.

"Thanks Gator. I just hope I'll feel better before you leave for your railway again."

"Oh, don't worry Duck. I won't be leaving for a while." Gator chuckled.

"Just look after his train, lad. The ballast shoot's over there." said Douglas tartly.

"Alright, got it."

Douglas then puffed away with the Pannier tank.

"Poor Duck. The least I can do is take this train for him." Gator said as he was coupled up to empty ballast trucks.

The Troublesome Trucks were cross to the unfamiliar engine.

"That engine won't pull us!" they cried, "We want Duck!"

Gator had had experience with trucks on his old railway, so he took no notice to the trucks' taunts as he puffed away to Arlesburgh Junction.

A while later, Gator puffed over the points as he steamed under the chute.

"Well, this is an impressive piece of construction." Gator noted.

"Why, thank you!" a voice said. Gator looked over, and saw a very small tender engine on the track next to him.

"I'm Bert." the small engine said, "And you're Gator. Duck's said lots about you."

Gator chuckled.

"Has he really? That's kind of him. Can you explain how this chute works?"

Bert smiled.

"Of course. See, we push our small trucks onto the chute, and the ballast falls right through into your big trucks! Simple as that."

Gator understood and puffed forward so the trucks would be filled with ballast.

Rex shunted some trucks onto the chute and soon, Gator's trucks were filled with ballast.

"Be careful," advised Bert, "Ballast trucks are the worst."

"Oh, I'm sure I can handle them. I do know a few things about trucks." Gator said and he puffed away.

Rex puffed down the chute and chuckled to Bert.

"Does he really?"

"Let's hope he does." murmured Bert as Gator rounded a bend.

Gator puffed along the Little Western, while the trucks whispered among each other.

"Stupid engine doesn't know how to handle trucks!" grumbled a truck near the back.

"We need our own specific engines!" agreed another.

"Let's trick 'im, and we'll give him a taste of the sea!" giggled the front truck.

But Gator had heard them and bumped them hard.

"I want no tricks, you hear?" he called.

The trucks shivered from the intimidating voice and reconsidered their plan.

Gator soon arrived at Tidmouth Station.

Neville was waiting for his guard to blow the whistle when the visiting engine puffed in, not stopping.

"Hello." said Neville kindly.

Gator looked over and whistled.

"Can't stop! Got to take this ballast to Knapford." and he hurried away.

Neville frowned.

"Bye..." he muttered as Gator made his way onto the Main Line.

Percy puffed along the branch line, passing through Dryaw.

"Ugh, these trucks are nothing but trouble!" he grumbled.

The trucks heard this and giggled to spite him.

It worked, as the little engine was cross.

His mood didn't improve as he stopped at a red signal.

"Stupid signals! Why must I always stop all the time? It's getting annoying! We're not cars; we don't have as much traffic."

"We know Percy, but trains are still dangerous. You've been in multiple crashes before. Some were because of signal failure." the driver said.

Percy winced as the signal went to green.

"Alright, alright. It just gets annoying sometimes." and Percy puffed away, but unknown to him and his crew, this had given the trucks a naughty idea.

They giggled to each other as Percy rounded a corner.

"On! On! On!" the trucks giggled.

Percy simply rolled his eyes.

"Not now trucks. I have to get to Knapford, and I don't have time for your games."

The trucks just laughed.

"On! On! On!" the trucks giggled, catching Percy off guard since he thought he had them under control.

Percy surged forward.

The driver tried to brake, but it was hard to stop the surging trucks.

"Oh no!" cried Percy helplessly as he rounded another bend.

Gator puffed up to Knapford Junction, frowning.

He looked up at his red signal.

"Bother, red." he sighed, "Oh well, might as well wait for Henry."

Behind him, loud chuffing could be heard and the large tender engine raced by, puffing over the points.

Gator looked up again; now his signal was green.

"Time to go." he sighed as he puffed onto the complex junction.

Inside a nearby signalbox, a signalman had fallen asleep, and had left Gator's points in the wrong direction.

Gator didn't know this though, for he was a visiting engine, and rarely visited Knapford. Even if he did, the junction was still one of the most complex on the railway.

"All these tracks! How am I supposed to find my way?" Gator grumbled as he puffed into the station.

He was about to puff into the station when a familiar frantic whistle sounded.

"Is that Percy?" Gator asked, slightly confused.

"Help! Help!" Percy cried as he raced off the branch line and into Knapford, right onto Gator's track.

The runaway trucks squealed with delight, while Percy was desperately trying to brake.

"Come on, work brakes!" Percy cried, but before he could say any more, he smashed into Gator.

"Ouch!" Gator cried out as he was forced backwards.

A large crash was heard; the force of Gator stopping caused Percy to derail, and a couple of trucks were broken.

"Ouch... Why do we keep doing this..." a truck winced.

"Because we're amazing." said a truck.

"Percy! Are you alright?" asked Gator worriedly.

"Um... no. I didn't expect our next meeting to go like this." joked Percy weakly.

Gator chuckled awkwardly.

Meanwhile, Henry had heard the noise and puffed back to the station.

"Oh my, I heard the crash from outside the station! What happened?" Henry asked worriedly.

"I was a runaway and I crashed into Gator, who came with a ballast train." explained Percy meekly.

"I'll go get help." promised Henry and he puffed away.

Every signal on the signal gantry turned red as the Fat Controller got out from his office, having heard the crash.

"My, oh my, this is a nasty accident. Er, I'll send someone to take you to the Steamworks. I assume Gator may need some repairs too." the Fat Controller said gravely and he telephoned the Steamworks to send The Works Diesel with Jerome and Judy to come and get the two engines.

Soon he arrived and Jerome and Judy lifted Gator and Percy onto flatbeds.

"That must've been a nasty crash." said The Works Diesel sympathetically.

"It was." admitted Gator as The Works Diesel set off for the Steamworks.

When they got there, Victor was waiting.

"Come in, my friends. I can tell you had a rough time." he said kindly.

"Indeed." agreed Percy.

"Well, this certainly wasn't what I expected." chuckled Gator, "But at least we're together again."

Percy happily agreed.

"It's not easy being green, I can tell you!" he joked, "First Duck breaking down, then you and I crash!" and everyone laughed at Percy's joke.


End file.
